Why Give
Together, we can provide an exceptional bachelor’s degree program where adult learners pursue their passions, apply learning to the real world, and become true leaders. Together, we honor the life experiences of our adult learners and support them on their paths to great success.
- On a personal level, your gift will impact each student, family, staff member, and advisor involved with College Unbound.
- On a local level, your support will improve every community where our students live and work.
- On a national level, your contribution will help College Unbound redefine higher education for a traditionally underserved, rapidly growing student population in the United States.
Your gift is an investment in College Unbound. It will support every student, current and future, in pursuing their passion and achieving their degree. Your gift will transform the lives of thousands of underserved learners—one student at a time.
CU has been awarded the Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid.
How are funds utilized?
While student tuition at College Unbound is $11,016 annually, the real cost per student is $20,000, leaving a gap of $9,000 per student that we must cover through fundraising. When you give to CU, you can choose to direct how your funds are spent. We also work with foundations and government organizations to raise funds to close this gap.
In addition to funding the tuition gap, we raise money for scholarships to help students complete their degrees without taking on too much debt. We also receive grants to fund new initiatives above and beyond the total cost per student.
Further, above and beyond the cost per student, we need to ensure we have funds available to cover unexpected challenges and expenses for the college and our students, so that no matter what adversity we face, our students can complete their degrees.
Funding Priorities
Funds You Can Support
- Greatest Need: Give an unrestricted gift to where the college most needs your support. This flexible option allows CU to meet budget needs not covered by existing grants and gifts.
- Student Success: Fund the full range of support provided to CU students, including academic and technology assistance, mental health and substance abuse support, and the community cares team that connects students with external partners who can help students meet their basic needs.
- CU Cares Fund: Provide students with emergency funding up to $500 when emergencies threaten their ability to continue their studies. Students work with members of our Community Cares team to connect them with needed resources.
- Alumni Support and Career Services: Support alumni programming as they pursue job advancement, graduate studies, or return to CU as Alumni Mentors, coaching the next generation of CU students.
- Academic Innovation and Professional Pathways: Support CU faculty and curricular enhancements that ensure CU continues to innovate its educational program best to support adult learners in a constantly changing world.
- Prison Education Program: Invest in BA completion for our students completing their degrees while incarcerated. Your gift supports faculty, printed coursework and materials, and transition support for students continuing their studies upon release from prison.
- Scholarships: Limit student debt by providing financial aid to students who need to supplement their Pell grants or who are not Pell eligible. See our growing list of student scholarship opportunities.
- National Growth: Help us build the new sites and professional pathways that will enable CU to scale while investing in the infrastructure necessary to support thousands of nationwide students with the same high-touch, local connection we value most.
You can also direct your gift based on where our students are located.
- CU-Greenville, SC
- CU-Washington State
- CU- PA/NJ/DE (Delaware Valley)
- CU-Rhode Island
Ways to Give
College Unbound is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Online Giving
Give By Mail
College Unbound
Attn: Julia Travers Rickert
PO Box 28173
Providence, RI 02908